


Serpent's Venom

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Series: Memento Mori [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, This is the third time I've killed Aone and I'm sorry, You've been warned, apparently there wasn't enough suffering in Glamour, so this happened, this is not a happy story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-06-01 21:31:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6537040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suguru is willing to do whatever it takes to climb the ranks of the Winter Court, especially if it means he can finally have the person he's been in love with for years.</p><p>Companion to Glamour</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Catalyst

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A_Sirens_Lullaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Sirens_Lullaby/gifts).



> So I was talking with A_Sirens_Lullaby about how to work Suguru into this AU, and this happened. You're all welcome.

Suguru had just finished cleaning the blood from his hands when there was a knock at his door. Quickly checking himself for any sign of conflict, anything that might indicate what he'd done, he made his way toward the door. When he opened it, Futakuchi stood there, looking lost and kind of confused. 

"Kenji? What's wrong? Where's Takanobu?" Suguru asked, even though he knew the answer to both questions. 

"Suguru, Takanobu's dead," Futakuchi said, his voice empty and almost dazed. Suguru stepped back, and Futakuchi stumbled in and nearly fell onto the couch when he reached it. Suguru sat beside him, watching him carefully. "He's dead, Suguru. Someone killed him. They...they tortured him and then carved 'traitor' into his chest and left him to die." Futakuchi's voice was losing some of its empty quality and was edging toward being horrified and desperate and full of grief. Tears welled up in his eyes, and the dazed expression crumpled into sorrow and despair. "Suguru, what am I going to do? I can't...I don't know how to live without him anymore." Futakuchi's voice broke, and his shoulders shook. Suguru slid his arms around Futakuchi, gathered him close and pulled him onto his lap. Since Futakuchi was actually taller than Suguru, and Futakuchi had only had eyes for Aone, Suguru hadn't gotten many chances to hold Futakuchi like this, but now, with wave after wave of grief crashing over him, Futakuchi seemed smaller somehow, and Suguru settled his arms around the other fae's waist. 

"It's okay, Kenji," Suguru murmured, rubbing Futakuchi's back gently, avoiding touching his wings, even though his fingers itched to trace the delicate membranes. "It will be okay. I know things seem awful right now, but Takanobu wouldn't want you to give up. He loved you so much, he'd want you to get through this." Futakuchi's sobs just got louder. Suguru tightened his hold on Futakuchi's waist and added, "Why don't you stay with me for a while, okay? Sleeping in the room you two shared will only make you miss him more." Futakuchi hesitated, studying Suguru with red-rimmed eyes still streaming tears.

"I don't want to cause you any trouble... And if people think Takanobu was a traitor, then they might think I'm one, too, since he was my lover," he whispered. "And then if I stay with you..."

"Come on, Kenji. You've been my best friend since before we joined Winter. I know you'd never betray the Winter Court, and I have plenty of allies higher up. I'll protect you from anyone who tries to say you're a traitor," Suguru promised, gently wiping a few tears away. "I'm going to take care of you, okay?" Futakuchi sniffled, then laid his head on Suguru's shoulder. 

"Thank you, Suguru," Futakuchi mumbled. "I know we haven't talked much lately...I haven't been a very good best friend..."

"You were head over heels for Takanobu. I understood," Suguru replied, forcing his voice to be gentle and comforting instead of bitter. Watching Futakuchi fall in love with the stoic guard, Aone, had been the most painful thing Suguru had ever gone through, so he'd thrown himself into training and making alliances and cultivating his image within the Winter Court. The fae ranked below him adored and feared him as a polite but fearsome person who could affect their standing with Ushijima's innermost circle. The ones above him saw him as an infinitely polite, well-mannered person who could answer almost an question about the individual low-ranking fae. "Please don't beat yourself up over the past. Anyway, it turned out for the best. I used the time to make the alliances that will keep you safe if anyone tries to say anything about you." Suguru just hoped that his allies would take the overkill as a sign of Suguru's loyalty instead of his jealousy. Aone hadn't been meant to die, after all. Suguru had just gotten carried away. 

That night, after Futakuchi had cried himself to sleep in Suguru's arms, Suguru finally released his concerned mask. He didn't like seeing Futakuchi like this, grieving over Aone. But he was also incredibly pleased, and reveled in how easily Futakuchi had let himself be held and comforted. Suguru absolutely adored the way Futakuchi stayed snuggled against him in his sleep. 

Time passed, and Futakuchi grieved. Suguru stayed close to him as much as he could, providing the comfort that Futakuchi needed. Weeks turned to months, and slowly, slowly, Futakuchi returned to his old self and began accompanying Suguru around the Winter Palace and even outside, when Suguru had business with other Courts. There were times when Suguru had to ask Futakuchi to stay in their shared room instead of going with him, though. 

Namely, when Suguru carried out his duties as one of Winter Lord Ushijima's most skilled weapons. If a fae was rumored to be disloyal, it became increasingly common for their punishment to be left to Suguru, especially if the fae to be punished was low-ranking enough that Ushijima and his favorites didn't want to deal with it themselves. 

"Suguru? Where do you go when you ask me to stay here?" Futakuchi asked one day, almost a year after Aone's death. The two of them were sitting together, Futakuchi reading a book and Suguru pretending to read his own book while he was really watching Futakuchi. Suguru hesitated; he didn't want Futakuchi to know what he did, didn't want to see the horror in his face if he managed to put the pieces together. Even if Futakuchi didn't make the connection, Suguru didn't want to involve Futakuchi in his work. Suguru knew he wasn't a good person, knew that he hadn't been in a long time. But he also knew that Futakuchi  _was_. Futakuchi could be the very picture of a cold, intimidating Winter fae, but Suguru knew that Futakuchi was fundamentally good. Suguru and his allies represented everything about Winter that the other Courts feared: cunning, cruelty, and willingness to do whatever it took to get the outcome they wanted. Futakuchi shared some of that, but he would have been a better fit for Spring of Autumn, in Suguru's opinion, because while Futakuchi was competitive and good at provoking people, he just wasn't someone who would ruin a friend's happiness for the sake of his own. He wasn't like Suguru. "Suguru?" Suguru hesitated, then reasoned that Futakuchi would find out anyway, and it was better if he heard from Suguru himself. 

"I'm one of Ushijima's enforcers," Suguru admitted quietly. "You've seen what people like me can do, so I don't want you to come with me. I don't want you to see me like that." That was more than he'd meant to say, and he stared down at the book in his hands as he waited for Futakuchi's response, waited for him to pull away, to accuse Suguru of being the one to take Aone from him. Instead, Futakuchi set his book down and turned to Suguru, took the book from his hands and set it aside, too. 

"Suguru, were you worried I would hate you because of what happened to Takanobu?" Futakuchi asked. Suguru didn't answer, but Futakuchi read the tension in his shoulders and the silence and got his answer anyway. "I could never hate you, Suguru. You've done so much for me." There was a pause, and then Futakuchi gently took Suguru's hands in his. Suguru watched him, unsure what Futakuchi was thinking. "You've always been there for me. I don't know why I didn't see it before. Maybe I just took it for granted that you'd always be there. After Takanobu died, I came to you, and you gave me everything I needed. I believe you're a good person, Suguru, just doing your duty to the Winter Court. So I'm not going to abandon you because you're an enforcer, okay?" Suguru searched his expression carefully, then relaxed. Futauchi seemed more concerned with reassuring Suguru than with making connections between Suguru's job in the Court and the way Aone had died.

"You really mean that?" Suguru asked. Futakuchi leaned forward. 

"I mean it. You're all I have left, Suguru," he said, taking a deep breath as though to steady himself. "You mean everything to me." Futakuchi closed the distance between them and hesitantly pressed his lips to Suguru's. Suguru could have melted with joy right there. After years of trying to put aside his feelings for his best friend, and then watching him fall for someone else, and then helping him through the grief of losing his lover, Suguru had finally, somehow, gained something from Futakuchi that was beyond friendship. Suguru could finally have the relationship with Futakuchi that he'd always wanted.

Now he just had to make sure that Futakuchi never, ever found out that Suguru was the one who set Aone up as a traitor and then killed him.


	2. Confrontation

Futakuchi smiled to himself and hummed thoughtfully as he wandered through the Winter Gardens. Suguru was off on one of his enforcer errands, so Futakuchi was taking the time to explore a part of the Gardens he hadn't seen before, even though Suguru had technically asked him to stay in their room until he got back. He wondered if he could get some of these flowers to grow indoors, in his and Suguru's room. Some of the blue ones would compliment the deep emerald of Suguru's wings when they lounged on the couch together. Futakuchi reached out to lightly stroke one of the soft blue petals.

"Did Daishou let you out alone finally?" an unfamiliar voice asked. Futakuchi jumped and turned to see one of the Winter Lord's favorite high-ranking fae watching him curiously. Futakuchi knew he should know the name that went with that face, but he couldn't remember.

"What do you mean,  _let me out?_ " Futakuchi demanded, frowning.

"I just didn't think Daishou would let you wander around without him, that's all. He's very possessive of you, won't even bring you to the enforcers' banquets," the stranger replied. Futakuchi paused; granted, he spent his time mostly in their room, and if he went out, Suguru was with him, but this fae made it sound like Futakuchi was some sort of prize or pet. "I thought it was because he didn't trust you not to run away from him or something." Futakuchi blinked at that.

"Why would I run from Suguru?" Futakuchi said with a frown. The stranger hesitates, studying him. 

"He's an enforcer. He's  _the_ enforcer for the lower ranks," the stranger said. "Why wouldn't you run from him?"

"Suguru knows I'm loyal," Futakuchi snapped. He didn't say that considering how gently Suguru held him, how reverently Suguru touched his wings or his cheek or anywhere really, Futakuchi couldn't imagine Suguru ever hurting him, even if he hadn't been loyal. Saying that would make people suspicious of Suguru, which wouldn't end well for either of them. The stranger seemed to see something in his eyes anyway, because he froze.

"You're not his pet or his prize like everyone thinks you are," the stranger realized, eyes wide. "You're his  _lover_." Futakuchi took a step back, shocked by the outright horror in that last word, then scowled and clenched his fists. What was so horrible about being with an enforcer? Suguru was just doing his best, like everyone else in this horrible Court, and he made sure that Futakuchi was as comfortable and content as possible, made the Winter Court's rules and suspicions and ranks bearable, even after Takanobu's death. Futakuchi stomped closer to the stranger.

"What's wrong with that? Just because you don't like him or whatever your problem is doesn't mean I can't-"

"You don't know, do you? You don't know what he did." The words, whispered and once more downright  _horrified_ , stop Futakuchi in his tracks. He wants to be angry, to shout at this stranger that they don't know Suguru, not like he did, but there was something alongside the horror in the other fae's expression, something that might have been...was that  _pity?_ And  _guilt?_

"What don't I know?" Futakuchi snapped. He knew Suguru was an enforcer. He knew that meant that Suguru hurt anyone who disobeyed or acted disloyally. He knew that Suguru was good at what he did - even if he tried to keep Futakuchi away from that aspect of his life, he still heard whispers when they were out - so what was there about Suguru that Futakuchi didn't know?

"He's the one who killed Aone," the stranger answered. Futakuchi's blood turned to ice, and his mind went blank. "You and Aone were so happy that it started making Ushijima nervous. Everyone knew who you two were, because you were the couple that was so in love, it gave everyone around you hope for the future. That's why the enforcers took an interest in you, that's why they decided to..." The stranger trailed off, watching Futakuchi, who was staring at him, disbelief and shock and  _no no, it can't be true_ running through his mind. "He wasn't supposed to die. He was just supposed to be questioned about rumors that he might put you before the good of the Court, but Suguru insisted on being the one to handle him, and he went too far." Futakuchi couldn't process what the stranger was saying. 

Suguru had killed Aone? He'd  _volunteered_ to hurt Aone? He'd killed Aone  _when he was only supposed to hurt him a little and then let him go?_

"I don't believe you," Futakuchi said. He'd meant for the words to come out firm, insistent, but they came out weak and scared. He wanted to add that Suguru would never do that, not to Aone, not when he  _knew_ how much Aone meant to him. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie to you?" the stranger asked. Futakuchi bit his lip and reached for his earth magic.

"You're one of Suguru's enemies or something," Futakuchi replied. "Or you're just cruel. How could you go to someone and lie to them and tell them their lover killed their first love?"

"You said  _what?_ " Suguru's voice behind him was a relief. Futakuchi's shoulder slumped in relief and he turned to his lover. 

"Suguru," he sighed, only to freeze when he saw the utter  _fury_ and  _hatred_ in Suguru's eyes as he glared at the stranger. "Suguru?" At Futakuchi's voice, Suguru tensed, then suddenly reverted to the polite, kind Suguru that Futakuchi knew, and a friendly smile spread across Suguru's lips. 

"Just because you can't have your little fire shooter doesn't mean you have to try to ruin other people's relationships with your filthy lies,  _Tooru_ ," Suguru practically cooed, sliding an arm around Futakuchi's waist and tugging him against his side, away from the stranger. Futakuchi recognized the name, and realized he really should have remembered it sooner, because Oikawa was well known as the one who'd been an immediate favorite of Ushijima's after joining, since  _no one_ got noticed by Ushijima in a good way until they'd been in the court for years and proved their loyalty over and over. 

"I'm many things, but I am not a liar," Oikawa snapped. 

"No, you're just scheming how to get out of here so you can crawl back to that fire fae, because you think he's still waiting for you," Suguru replied sharply. Oikawa flinched.

"How dare you-"

"You're the one who came up to  _my_ lover and started trying to upset him with awful lies," Suguru hissed. Futakuchi couldn't help but twist in Suguru's hold to frown at him. He'd never seen Suguru like this, going from furious to polite but insulting to downright vicious. "Come on, Kenji, let's go home." He tugged at Futakuchi's waist, guiding him away from Oikawa.

"I never figured out what you had against Aone," Oikawa called after them. "But I get it now." Suguru stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. 

"Oh? What makes you think I had anything against him?" Suguru asked. 

"You wanted Futakuchi for yourself, didn't you?" Oikawa replied. "Your Kenji was in love with Aone, so you killed him."

"Accuse me of that again, and I'll tell Ushijima that you're only seducing him because you're plotting behind his back," Suguru replied, ushering Futakuchi out of the garden before Oikawa could reply. 


	3. Destruction

Suguru ushered Futakuchi into their room and closed the door behind them. Futakuchi hadn't spoken the whole walk from the garden, and Suguru wasn't sure what that meant. Normally, he could predict Futakuchi's reactions pretty well, but he didn't know how much Oikawa had told him, so Futakuchi's thoughts were a mystery. 

"Suguru, tell me you didn't kill Takanaobu," Futakuchi whispered. Suguru drew his lover into his arms and kissed the corner of his mouth before pulling back and meeting his eyes steadily. "It's not that I don't trust you, or that I think you would do what Oikawa claimed, but..."

"Kenji, do you really think I would do something that would break your heart like that?" Suguru asked. Futakuchi shook his head, and Suguru smiled and continued, "You know that I love you, right? I only want what's best for you." Futakuchi seemed to relax, so Suguru pulled him close again, wrapping his arms around Futakuchi's waist and leaning up to kiss him. "You're mine, Kenji, and I won't let anyone scare you with such horrible lies again, okay?" Futakuchi didn't know what to think or how to respond, so he settled for nodding and allowing himself to be led toward the couch. 

Suguru's hands were gentle but insistent as they guided him to sit and curl up against his lover. Suguru's expression was kind and concerned, and Futakuchi found himself reassured that he had been right, that Suguru wouldn't hurt him. He closed his eyes, and suddenly remembered the fury that had flashed across Suguru's face, only to be masked with his usual polite manner. Futakuchi knew that Suguru was fully capable of hiding his emotions, and he felt stupid for never considering that Suguru might be hiding something from  _him_. Oikawa had suggested that Suguru had wanted Futakuchi since before Aone's death, but Futakuchi had never thought Suguru was interested in him romantically until after he'd begun to get over Aone. The implications of Oikawa's words - if they were true - made him wonder what else Suguru might have been hiding. 

"Suguru?" Futakuchi murmured. Suguru's arm around him shifted, a hand coming to rest on his hip.

"Yes?"

"How long have you loved me?" There was a pause, and then Suguru's hands were tugging him up, over, turning him and situating him so he was straddling Suguru's lap, facing him. 

"I've loved you for a very long time, Kenji," Suguru told him softly. "I've wanted you for longer than I can remember. I knew you didn't want me as anything besides a friend, so I stayed with you and did my best to make sure you were happy." Futakuchi rested his forehead on Suguru's, enjoying the simple touch as he tried to figure out how to ask what he wanted to. After all, while Suguru had managed to reassure Futakuchi, he hadn't actually ever said that he hadn't been the one to kill Aone.

"Suguru, were you an enforcer when Aone was killed?" Futakuchi said tentatively. Suguru's hands on his hips tightened. 

"I've been an enforcer since a little before you and Aone got together. Why?" Suguru asked. 

"So you know who killed Aone," Futakuchi said quietly. Suguru frowned.

"We've talked about this before, Kenji. Enforcers aren't supposed to reveal who carries out which punishments," Suguru reminded him. 

"I know. But Oikawa sure seemed to think he knew, so someone must be saying something. If he's wrong, then why don't you tell me who did do it? I won't go after them or anything, I promise," he added, in case Suguru thought he'd be stupid enough to target an enforcer. Suguru tilted his head.

"You won't go after them? Really? Even if I told you it was me?" he asked. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. Futakuchi froze, and Suguru quickly added, "It wasn't me, I was just trying to make a point, really." Futakuchi stared at him, a few things beginning to make sense. Suguru hadn't wanted him to know he was an enforcer. He hardly ever left Futakuchi by himself, and when he did, he asked that Futakuchi stay in their room, away from other fae. Futakuchi had always thought Suguru was just trying to protect him from anyone who might think he was a traitor for having been involved with Aone, but what if it was to keep anyone from telling Futakuchi the truth? 

Futakuchi stared at his lover, wanting to believe that he would never do such a thing, but remembering the way Suguru had glared at Oikawa made it impossible to just take Suguru's words at face value. Suguru seemed to realize this and sighed. 

"Oikawa ruins everything," Suguru growled. "As if he wouldn't do the same thing in my position."

"You actually did it," Futakuchi whispered. "You killed him. You killed Takanobu." He tried to push Suguru away, to get off his lap, to just  _get away_ because  _he can't handle this_ , but Suguru's grip on his hips tightened, and he found himself hauled against Suguru's chest.

"Kenji, listen to me-" Futakuchi shook his head and squirmed, trying to escape Suguru's hold. "Kenji!" Futakuchi reached for his earth magic, determined to get away. He needed to think - he didn't  _want to think, not about Suguru killing Aone_ \- and he needed to get away from Suguru. "Kenji, if you don't stop and listen to me-" Futakuchi's earth magic rose when he called it, and he was about to use it to increase his strength, so he could push Suguru away, but then his body seized up as a jolt of sheer agony shot through him. He screamed in shock and pain, his body writhing, and then all of a sudden it was gone, leaving a horrible ache through his whole body, and he whimpered as he tried to figure out exactly what had happened. Gentle hands caressed his sides as he trembled, realizing he was clinging to Suguru's shoulders. "There, that's better. It's okay, Kenji, it's okay. I didn't want to hurt you, but you weren't listening. I need you to listen to me, Kenji, can you do that for me? I don't want to hurt you again." Through the pain-induced disjointedness of his thoughts, Futakuchi realized that the horrible, burning pain had been Suguru's lightning magic. Suguru had electrocuted him to stop him from pushing him away. 

"You hurt me," Futakuchi whimpered, stunned and terrified by this turn of events. "You used your magic on me." Suguru brought his hands up to frame Futakuchi's face and pull him close enough for Suguru to press an apologetic kiss to his forehead.

"I had to. You weren't listening. Let me explain, Kenji," Suguru pleaded. Futakuchi scowled and tried to pull away, but a spark of electricity flickered over his skin, stinging his skin and making him yelp. "Stop trying to get away and just listen to me," Suguru ordered. 

"No! You're hurting me, Suguru," Futakuchi snapped, trying to pull away again. Suguru reached up and gripped his chin almost gently, and Futakuchi tensed, expecting another jolt of magic, but it didn't come.

"I don't want to hurt you, Kenji," Suguru replied. "But I can't...I can't lose you. I can't let you leave me." Futakuchi stared at him.

"Suguru, you killed Takanobu. You tortured him and carved the word 'traitor' into his chest, because I was happy with him. I can't stay with you. I feel like I don't even  _know_ you," Futakuchi said helplessly. He hesitated, then added sadly, "I was wrong. You're not a good person. And it turns out I  _can_ hate you." Suguru's hand fell as he flinched at Futakuchi's words. Thinking that Suguru had given up on keeping him there, Futakuchi slid off of his lap and turned toward the door. 

"Even if you hate me, I can't let you leave," Suguru whispered. That was the only warning Futakuchi got before the burning pain surged through him, and he fell, limbs jerking out of control. Suguru caught him before he hit the ground, and the pain vanished. "You're mine, Kenji, and now that I've had you, I can't lose you. So hate me all you like. But you're not going anywhere. You learned to love me once when I took care of you, comforted you. You'll learn to love me again, even if I have to break you down and build you back up from scratch." Futakuchi was shaking, from fear and from the aftereffects of being electrocuted. 

"Suguru, please, don't," Futakuchi rasped, trying to catch his breath. "Suguru, you don't have to do this. Please, Suguru, just-" Electricity coursed through him, making his chest and arms burn as the current ran through him. He screamed, his back arching and his wings beating uselessly against Suguru's arms as he held Futakuchi close despite his thrashing from the electrocution.  When the pain faded, Suguru shifted his hold on Futakuchi, lifted him into a bridal carry and stood. He carried Futakuchi to their bed and laid him down. "Suguru," he whimpered, tears streaming down his face. "It hurts, Suguru." 

"I know, Kenji, I know. I don't want to hurt you anymore, so just stay here and behave, okay?" Suguru replied gently, stroking Futakuchi's hair soothingly. Futakuchi wanted to pull away, even if it was petty and would probably get him shocked again, but his muscles weren't cooperating with his brain. Suguru lifted his hand and almost tenderly wrapped his fingers around Futakuchi's throat. There was a crackle, and a band of electricity appeared, encircling his neck. "If you get too far away from me, this will shock you. So don't try to escape, okay? You're  _mine_ , Kenji." There was a pause, and then Suguru leaned over him. "I want to hear you say it, too," he murmured, stroking  Futakuchi's cheek lovingly. "Tell me you're mine, Kenji, and then I'll let you sleep so the pain will go away." Futakuchi was tempted to snap at him, but he didn't think he could take another shock right now, so he decided to give in for now.

"I'm yours, Suguru," Futakuchi whispered, a sob catching in his throat. "I'm yours." Just the day before, Suguru had said Futakuchi was his, and it had filled Futakuchi with a feeling of contentment, of belonging, of being loved. Now, saying he belonged to Suguru filled him with dread and grief. Futakuchi whimpered, the faded pain of losing Aone once more a gaping, raw wound in his heart, and made worse by Suguru's betrayal and the physical pain he'd felt that day. His whole body hurt, even the places that hadn't felt like they were burning when he was actively being electrocuted. The collar of pure lightning magic buzzed against his skin, not painful, but horribly, noticably  _there_ , a constant reminder that if Suguru got what he wanted, this was going to be Futakuchi's life now.

And if there was one thing Futakuchi had learned today, it was that no matter what it took, no matter how awful it was, Suguru got what he wanted.


End file.
